Refrigerating apparatus for bottled goods



June 14, 1932. c.` c. sPREEN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR BOTTLED GOODS Filed April 25, 1927l MAN NN MN N V EN TUR. 6%a 71265 pween BY W71 mf A TTORNE Y.

Patented .lune 14, 1932 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. SPREEN, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR T0 KELVINATOR .CORPORA- TION, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF 'MICHIGAN BEFRIGERATING APPARAT FOR BOTTLED GOODS Application l'ed April 25,

This invention relates generally to mechanical refrigerating apparatus and especially relates to apparatus of the character indicated adapted for refrigerating packaged goods, bottles or the like.

A considerable trade in soft drinks and the like has been built up in conjunction with the soda fountain business, and many types of mechanically refrigerated structures for storing such packaged or bottled goods have been employed, some of which are a component part of the mechanically refrigerated ice cream cabinet, while others are separate structures which may be operated separately or may be operatively connected with the mechanical refrigcrating apparatus associated with the' ice cream cabinet. In all of such structures heretofore employed the'cooling unit of the refrigerating apparatus was im mersed in a bath of brine, water, or other iiuid medium, which in turn contacted with the goods to becooled or with the wall` of the chamber in which they were stored.

c The aforementioned structures are objectionable in that the rate of co'oling of articles is very slow, which necessitates storing goods therei'for a considerable period of time before the desired temperature is reached. This in turn necessitates storing a considerable quantity of goods in the cooling chamber at all times, thus requiring the employment of .a large container which notv only absorbs coni siderable heat from the surrounding atmosvide a cooling device which is inexpensive to construct, economical in operation, which is sufficiently light in weight and small and compact in structure to permit of placing it in Very convenient and accessible'places without interfering with the use of other equipment, and which lends itself to being designed so as to have a particularly attractive 1927. serial No. 186,433.

invention showing the means for supporting the articles which are to be refrigerated. l

I* 1g. 2 1s a View 11i-elevation of one end of the apparatus showing the hinged door for closing the entrance to the food Storage comi partment.

The structure illustrated comprises a cylindrical sleeve member 10 mounted upon suitable supporting legs 11 and yprovided at oneend with a hinged door 12 and with a second hinged door 13 on the upper portion of the cylindrical surface adjacent the opposite end of the cylinder. Disposed within the cylinder 10 and spaced therefrom is a second cylinder 14, which is insulated from the cylinder 10 by means of a quantity of ground cork 15, or other suitable heat insulating material. rllhe cylinder 14 is provided at one end with an opening 1G, of relatively small diameter, which is in alinement with the hinged door of the cylinder 10. Disposed within the cylinder 11 is a tube or cylinder 17 having a relatively long straight portion 18 and a relatively shorter curved portion 19. The end of the straight portion 18 of cylinder 17 is welded or otherwisesuitably united to the edges of the opening 1G in the cylinder 14, so as to'form a gas tight union therewith. The curved end 19 of the tubular member 17 projects through an opening 2l) in the side of the cylinder' 111, and is weldedl or otherwise suitably secured to the edges of an opening 21 in the cylindrical surface of the cylinder 10, which opening is covered by means of the cover or door 13. The edges ofthe opening 2() in the cylinder l-l are welded or otherwise secured to the curved end 19 of the tubular member 17 so as to form a gas tight union therewith. Intermediate the ends of the cylinders 14 and 10, and in alinement with the tubular member 1T, is disposed an annular member 22, which serves as a passageway between the end of the tube 17 and the opening in the end of the container 10 which is closed by means of the door 12. The tubular member 17 is ada ted to serve as a container and passageway or articles to be refrigerated, the drawing showing a plurality of bottles 23 disclosed therein.

The end of the cylinder 10 opposite the door 12 isprovided with an annular'member 23 which serves to support an end member 24 within which is disposed an. inlet port 25 and an outlet port 26, which communicate with the interior of the cylinder 14, and are provided with suitable connections 27 and 28, respectively, by means of which the evaporator is connected to a compressor-condenser unit (not shown) of a mechanical refrigerating apparatus. The inlet port 25 is provided with a float valve 29, of the type usually employed in refrigerating systems of the iooded type, which serves to regulate the flow of liquid .refrigerant into the cylinder.14 and to maintain it therein at a substantially constant level. The end member 24 is welded or otherwise secured to the end of the cylinder 14 so asto form a gas tight union therewith. As illustrated, a body of refrigerant 30 is admitted through the inlet port 25 and comes into direct contact with the food storage ti1be'17, and as it evaporatesit passes out' of the evaporator in the forni of gas through the outlet port 26. The doors 12 and 13 are each provided with springs 31, which serve to keep them normally in a closed position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that articles to be refrigerated are introduced into the apparatus by opening the door 12 and inserting them Within the tube 17. The admission of each additional article to be refrigerated c auses the articles previously introduced to be moved'forwardly alon the tube until they approach the door 13 which is opened manually and the desired article removed. By reason of the fact that the tube 17 is disposed in direct contact with the refrigerant 30, inte'riorly of the chamber in which the evaporation takes place, it will be apparent that they will be subjected to a very rapid cooling action and that it lwill be necessary for them to remain within the cooling device. but a relatively short time in order -to acquire thedesired low temperature.

It will also be apparent that by reason of the compact structure employed, and the rapid rate of cooling to which the articles are subjected, as well as they relatively small number of articles contained within the chamber' simultaneously, that the entire device may be of relatively small proportions and it may therefore 'be placed in many locations in which it is very accessible andin which it would be-impossible to place the larger or old type cooling unit.

Although l have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a container adapted to serve as an evaporator, a container adapted to surround said evaporator in spaced relation thereto, and a passageway through both of said containers, said passageway comprising a relatively long substantially straight portion and a relatively short curved portion, a door in the end of said outside container adjacent the end of said straight portion, and a door in the cylindrical surface of said outside container adjacent the opposite end thereof and adjacent the end of the curved portion of said passa eway.

cylindrical casing member adapted to contain fluid refrigerant and 'provided with a door at one end thereof, a second door in the cylindrical surface of the casing in spaced relation to the opposite end thereof, and a cylindrical container for bottled goods disposed within the cylindrical casing member and surrounded by refrigerant fluid, the opposite ends of the container communicating with the aforesaid doors.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing, an elongated container having float controlled means associated therewith for maintaining a constant quantity of refrigerant'liquid therein, and a curved container for bottled goods intersecting the cylindrical casing intermediate the opposite ends thereof.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising an' outer casing, a curved container for bottled goods having an inlet portion in one wall of said outer casing and an outlet portion in a second wall of said outer casing, a container 'having a liquid refrigerant space and a refrigerant lgas space, .said container extending entirely around said curved container with a portion of said curved container being immersed in liquid refrigerant and a portion being exposedto said gas space, and float' controlled means for maintaining a constant level of liquid refrigerant in therefri erant container. v

n testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

CHARLES C. SPREEN. 

